


Shattered Steel

by Sinca



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alex Danvers & Lena Luthor Friendship, Angst, F/F, Kara Danvers Needs Therapy, Kara Danvers Needs a Hug, Lena Luthor Knows Kara Danvers Is Supergirl, Past Rape/Non-con, Slavery, Torture, Trigger Warnings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:41:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24616228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sinca/pseuds/Sinca
Summary: 554 days ago, Kara Danvers disappeared. Now, under highly unusual circumstances, Lena Luthor rescues the hero. But the Supergirl that returns is nothing like the one they once knew; she is hurt and terrified, unable to even recognize her own name. And Lena? Lena's just trying to figure out how she managed to buy the woman she loves.
Relationships: Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer, Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 79
Kudos: 427





	1. Chapter 1

**TW: Slavery, sexual harassment, human trafficking, confinement**

Lena did not want to be here. In fact, she wanted to be absolutely anywhere besides seated in this dingy basement, surrounded by creeps, and squished between her mother and Roulette of all people. This isn’t how she’d imagined her day would go, not that she’d had many hopes for it, but she’d expected to continue her familiar routine – 18 hours at L-Corp and then 6 hours to eat and sleep before starting again. That had been the extent of her activities for the past 532 days because exactly 550 days ago, any other part of her world had crumbled around her.

554 days ago, was the last time she saw Kara, the last time the world saw Supergirl. Lena had spent 18 days – 18 tortuous, fruitless days – desperately searching for the Girl of Steel, working with Alex and the DEO to find any sort of lead. Eventually, she couldn’t ignore her company anymore and there was nothing else she could do. She’d made a better kryptonite sensor with Winn, upgraded Alex and Maggie’s weapons, and even worked with J’onn to create a facial recognition software that would search for Kara and ignore any shapeshifters that took her form. That had been the hardest task by far. Any time she tried to test her device, J’onn would shift into Supergirl and Lena’s heart would break all over again.

Lena had spent the subsequent 4 days forcing herself to go into work and finishing the minimal amount of business she could while still keeping her company afloat. She could barely get herself out of bed in the morning. She couldn’t stand the idea that Kara was trapped somewhere, hurt and bleeding, or worse. She’d known she loved Kara for months prior to the girl’s disappearance. 550 days ago was going to be the anniversary of the first day they met. 550 days ago was the day Lena was going to tell Kara how she felt. She never got the chance.

Lena had even considered selling her company and traveling the world searching every nook and cranny for the woman of her dreams. Then, 533 days ago, a massive White Martian attacked National City and took fourteen lives before anyone could stop it. So, Lena chose a different route. Instead of throwing herself into the seemingly hopeless attempts at bringing Kara home, she would bring a piece of Supergirl to her work. She’d made prototype after prototype – a better form of steel that would withstand stronger impacts, a firefighter suit that wouldn’t burn even at the highest temperatures a fire alien could wield, and countless new gadgets for the DEO. If Supergirl couldn’t protect National City any longer, Lena would do everything to keep Kara’s home safe.

Lately, she’d been working on a new set of handcuffs to block alien abilities on the go. She’d woken up with a breakthrough and gone to L-Corp at 3 in the morning, excited to implement her new design. Unfortunately, she hadn’t had much of a chance by the time Lilian Luthor and Veronica Sinclair walked into her office.

“Lena!” Veronica had greeted as though they were best of friends, opening her arms wide to embrace the youngest Luthor. “It’s been too long!”

“What are you doing here?” Lena had asked, stepping away from the pair and folding her arms.

“I need a reason to visit my daughter now?” Lilian had responded, feigning hurt. She was met with Lena’s penetrating glare for a moment before she had conceded. “Fine. We’re here to invite you to an event.”

“What sort of event?” Had been Lena’s scathing reply.

“It’s a surprise,” Veronica had told her with a wink.

“Not that I don’t appreciate your offer, though I don’t, I’m pretty busy.” Lena had remarked.

“Believe me,” Lilian had told her with a dark air about her, “you’re going to want to be there.”

And that was how Lena ended up driving to the waterfront and walking down a set of concrete steps behind an abandoned Chinese restaurant. She’d considered calling Alex and Maggie for backup but her mother’s warning of “you’ll want to come alone, or you may miss the best part” echoed in her head.

Now she was sitting in an auditorium of sorts, staring up at a flashy red curtain and waiting for whatever this event was to begin. Finally, a man stepped onto the stage, holding a microphone.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” He announced like a game show host, “It’s great to see you all here tonight! Are you ready?” The question was met with a wild cheer from the crowd, even Lilian gave a dignified “Yes!”

“Alright! We’ve got a great one for you tonight! I’m sure you’ve all heard about our special participant! But we’ll be saving the best for last! Don’t hold too tight to your pocketbooks though! We’ve got a lot of great contenders!” He announced. “First up! Coming all the way to you from the Andromeda galaxy! He’s got size! He’s got strength! He’s got fire-breathing capabilities! I give you,” he paused for dramatic effect, holding the rope controlling the curtain before finally pulling it and shouting, “the Messien!”

Finally, it all clicked. This was an auction. Not just any auction, an alien auction. They were selling the creatures like antiques! Handing them over as slaves to the highest bidder! Lena was outraged. She stood up, prepared to leave and send the DEO to the location when a hand stopped her. She looked down, glaring daggers at her mother.

“Believe me, you’ll want to stay.” She stated in a sickeningly calm manner. “You may even find something to bid on.”

Lena scoffed, disgusted at the mere thought, intending to march right out the door, but something in Lilian’s face stopped her. There was some sort of knowing gleam in her mother’s eye and Lena found herself sitting back down, stiff as a board, her eyes glued to the stage.

The bidding had already begun and was up to $342,000. Lena felt sick to her stomach. Every time the announcer screamed “sold!” she felt a wave of guilt. If she had walked out at the beginning, she could’ve stopped this; she could’ve protected those aliens. She was so deep in a spiral of self-hatred, she might have missed the final alien to be sold, but she looked up when Veronica elbowed her.

“This is it.” The announcer was saying, his voice much quieter as he drew the crowd in, “This is the one you’ve all been waiting for! All the way from Rao!” He began gaining in volume, “Of the planet Krypton! You may know her as…” Lena’s horror was mounting with every word, “SUPERGIRL!” He shouted finally.

It was Kara. Kara dressed in a Supergirl suit – though not her normal one. This was far flimsier and far less modest, lacking the tights and seeming to contain much less fabric than the one still stored at the DEO. She was in a cage. They had caged Kara! Locked her up like some animal! Lena was fuming. Behind the superhero, wheeling her up onto the stage, was Maxwell Lord sporting the biggest, most infuriating grin anyone had ever seen. If Lena had been born on Krypton, the whole place would have burned to the ground with the heat coming from her eyes.

“Thank you, Anton!” Lord announced, speaking into the headset he had on. “Ladies and gentlemen! I know you must’ve been curious what happened to the Girl of Steel! Well, she’s been with me! And, let me tell you, she’s not very steely anymore! With this purchase you will receive this instruction booklet,” he advertised, holding up a few laminated sheets, “this remote control,” he added, waving a small device in his hand, “and,” he paused, unlocking the cage, “Supergirl, out,” he commanded and immediately Kara was scrambling out of the cage, standing in front of him with terror in her eyes and far more skin than Lena wanted any of these disgusting men to be seeing on her. Max brushed Kara’s hair over her shoulder, eliciting a tremble from the woman and revealing a silver collar around her neck, “and this Kryptonian Collar!” he finished with a flourish.

“With this device and from my hard work, Supergirl will be at your every beck and call. And if you are ever dissatisfied, or want her to stop following a command, just press this button,” he demonstrated. Kara’s mouth opened in a silent scream as her hands jumped to the collar and her knees gave out. Lena couldn’t tell what was causing her so much pain, but she could feel a matching agony in her heart.

“Supergirl, stand.” Lord commanded, resulting in the blonde jumping to her feet, still shaking in anguish. “She can carry in groceries,” he directed back to the crowd, “help around the house, and let me tell you, she is very skilled in all departments.” He said, making a vulgar motion as he moved his hips to demonstrate his meaning. Lena didn’t want to think about it, squeezing her eyes shut and hoping this was just a dream.

“Let’s start the bidding at $1 million!” Lord announced. Immediately hands were up. Lena finally came back to herself when the bidding hit $100 million. She stood quickly.

“1.2 billion dollars!” She called, her voice cutting through the room, drowning out all the others. It was the 80% of her liquid assets but she didn’t care. She’d downsize her apartment and still be able to live comfortably. It was nothing when it came to Kara.

“Well, well, well!” Lord said, his voice thick with glee, “turns out Ms. L-Corp is a Luthor after all! Sold! To Lena Luthor for 1.2 billion dollars!”

The crowd was silent for a moment as heads turned toward Lena, but she didn’t care. She rushed toward the stage, writing the check as fast as possible and throwing it at the auctioneer before dashing over to Lord. She snatched the remote from him before slowing down to approach Kara.

“Hey,” she whispered to the terrified woman. She felt a dagger through her heart when she noticed Kara flinch.

“Don’t forget the instructions,” Max gloated, handing Lena the sheets. “Supergirl. Cage.” He commanded Kara.

“No!” Lena protested. “She can walk!”

Lord looked at her with a small smirk. “Fine, have it your way. Supergirl. Out.” And Kara jumped up in front of them again. “Supergirl,” Max said again before pointing to Lena, “Obey.” He watched her nod in terror before smiling with satisfaction and turning back to the Luthor. “Thank you for your generous donation. I’ll be able to use it to further my research,” he cooed, stroking Kara’s cheek to emphasize his point.

“Get your hands off of her.” Lena growled. Max chuckled but backed away.

“Alright, alright. I get it. Don’t wanna share her.” He smirked, “well she belongs to you now. Have fun.” With that he walked away, his smug grin still on his face.

Kara stared at his back, petrified, until he was out of sight. Finally, her gaze snapped to Lena as the brunette approached her, hands hovering over the red and blue costume desperate to hold Kara but unsure how she might react. Eventually, she let her hands fall back to her sides.

“You ready to go?” She asked the blonde who simply stared at her in response, fear written all over her face. “Alright,” Lena sighed, “well follow me, Supergirl.” Kara immediately jumped and stood behind Lena, right behind her as they made their way to the parking lot.

Lena led her friend to the passenger side. “You can get in here, Kara,” she whispered gently, but she received no response. It was as if the superhero hadn’t even heard her. “Kara?” Lena repeated. “Supergirl?” She tried. That got a response. Kara jumped slightly, looking at Lena with her back stiff and trembling. “Could you sit down?” Lena suggested, desperately trying to hold it together at the sight of her broken friend. Kara glanced at the car quickly before walking over to the trunk and standing still once more.

“Oh God,” Lena muttered to herself, “she thinks that’s where she’s supposed to be? Kara- Supergirl,” she corrected herself, deciding to deal with the lack of recognition the blonde showed at hearing her name another time. “You can sit here in the passenger seat.” Lena suggested softly. Kara flinched and quickly walked back to the passenger door, ducking and shielding herself as she passed Lena. The brunette sighed, her heart breaking even further as she closed to the door behind the blonde. She was thrilled to have her friend back, of course, but this woman didn’t seem to be anything like the Kara she knew. As she got into the driver’s seat, Lena swore, both to herself and Kara, that she would get them to where they used to be. She wouldn’t give up on the Girl of Steel.

**Protection from Unhappiness and Negativity (PUNs): A farmer counted all his sheep in the pasture and found he had 196, but when he rounded them up, he had 200!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm overwhelmed with all the support this has gotten and I'm really glad you guys seem interested in this! I always completely write a story prior to posting this so this story is already completed and I'll definitely upload it all. I'm hoping to do a chapter a day but sometimes I forget and I need to add trigger warnings to most of my chapters so there may be some delays. I hope you keep enjoying it!

**TW: mental conditioning, angst, slavery, implied past sexual assault, implied starvation, general implied abuse**

“Alex. I found her.” Lena said into the phone. That’s all it had taken for Alex to hang up and rush to Lena’s apartment.

“Where is she?” The desperate agent had demanded.

“Alex wait! She’s not –,” Lena protested, trying to explain the situation before Alex traumatized her sister further but it was too late. Alex was already wrenching open the bedroom door and dashing toward the figure of Kara, curled up in the corner where she had been since Lena had suggested she sleep. She’d meant for Kara to take the bed, but the blonde had immediately moved to the corner and Lena had decided not to press the issue yet.

“Kara!” Alex exclaimed, wrapping the blonde in a hug. “Oh, Kara. You’re alive! Thank God! It’s been over a year! What happened to you?” The redhead finally pulled away from her sister, noticing the lack of reaction from the figure. “What- what’s going on?” Alex asked, pain seeping into her voice as she looked between Lena and Kara.

“Supergirl,” Lena cooed softly, hating the way Kara jumped when she heard the title, expecting an order, “Alex and I are gonna go talk in the other room. You can rest on the bed if you want. And in a little while we can order dinner, okay?” She told the blonde who simply stared at her. Lena sighed, “come on, Alex. I’ll tell you what I know.”

Once they were seated in the other room, the agent’s stoic expression broke. “What happened to her?” Alex whispered, voice full of agony.

“Maxwell Lord.” Lena replied simply, watching the other woman’s eyes flash from pain to confusion to outright fury. The agent stood up, pulling out her phone and moving toward the door, but Lena interrupted her. “Alex, wait. I don’t think he’s the priority right now. By all means, put out a warrant for his arrest, I’ve even considered taking a hit out on him, but right now I need your help. Kara needs you.” She implored the feisty redhead.

Alex stood frozen for a moment, battling her need for action and bloodthirst with her care for her sister. Finally, she nodded, pressing a button on her phone and putting it to her ear. “J’onn, I think we found her. No, I’m with Lena right now. I’ll let you know if I find anything conclusive. Put out an APB on Maxwell Lord. I don’t care what it takes, bring him in.” With that, Alex hung up, returning the burner to her pocket. “Okay, tell me everything.” She said, turning toward Lena.

“Honestly, I don’t know a lot,” Lena admitted, “this morning, Lilian and Roulette came into my office. How they got there, I have no idea. But they told me they had a surprise for me. I don’t know why I followed them, something about the look in their eyes. But anyway, I ended up in this underground auditorium or something. I have the address, but I don’t think it’ll be of use now.” She explained. “I was gonna call you and Maggie to raid the place, but my mother told me I would miss the best part. I know I should’ve called anyway. I just wanted to figure out what they were on about.” Lena added, having noticed that Alex was about to interject. At this, Alex nodded, sitting back to listen patiently to the story. “Anyway, I figured out pretty soon what was going on. They were selling aliens. Auctioning them like slaves. It was despicable, made me sick, but I still didn’t stop it. If I had…all those aliens would’ve been safe…” Lena trailed off, guilt still eating at her.

“You don’t know that,” Alex assured her. They had become much closer since Kara’s disappearance, bonded by their shared pain. Lena had even confessed to Alex her feelings for the superhero to which Alex had explained that she’d already known from the way Lena reacted to losing Kara. “And you know we wouldn’t have found Kara. So, what happened?” She prompted the younger woman.

Lena closed her eyes, releasing a shuddering breath as she prepared herself to admit the next part, “I bought her,” she whispered.

Alex’s eyes widened. “You what?”

“I bought her.” Lena repeated, “for 1.2 billion dollars. I couldn’t just…let one of those guys take her home…when Lord…he said…the way they were looking at her…that costume is so small…and Lord said she’d do anything you told her to. Anything, Alex.” Lena emphasized, imploring the agent to understand as her voice became more hysterical. “I didn’t know what to do. They were bidding…all those men…those creatures…I couldn’t…I had to…I would never forgive myself…”

“Shhh,” Alex reassured the young woman, moving to the couch to wrap her arms around the Luthor. “I get it. I’m glad you did it.” They sat like that for a while, trying to hold each other together as all their broken pieces yearned to fall apart.

“Lord gave me…” Lena started, disgusted at what she was about to explain, “instructions.” She shuddered at the thought of treating Kara like a new toy to learn and control as she reached for the laminated pages. “I haven’t read them. Here.” She handed them to Alex who held them between the two, allowing both to read the plastic pages.

The remaining pages included different use suggestions. Lena managed to read the first one to find a hyper-sexualized description of Supergirl putting away groceries before she had to avert her eyes. Instead, they fell onto the remote laying on her table. Her stomach churned. and she stood up quickly.

“How could he do this?” She demanded, anger and disgust filling her.

“Which part?” Alex asked darkly.

“All of it!” Lena exclaimed, fury burning through her core. “He didn’t feed her, Alex! She probably hasn’t eaten since we last saw her! He says she doesn’t need food! He just- God! He turns down the Kryptonite in her collar so any damage from her _starvation_ is reversed!” She was pacing now.

“I know,” Alex said, her anger a little more contained than the younger woman’s, but Lena wasn’t done.

“And one cup of water a day? That’s it? And she needs permission! She needs permission to drink or shower! And she’s afraid of her name! He probably hurt her until she forgot that she’s Kara! And this remote! God this blasted remote! What kind of button is ‘punish’? I don’t even want to know!” Lena’s voice was starting to crack as she stood still, turning to Alex, her expression broken. “Clothing optional, Alex. Imagine how many times he- He probably- He hurt her…Alex he hurt her in so many different ways. I don’t know if she’ll ever stop hurting.” Lena’s voice broke in the last sentence as tears slipped down her face and her hand went to cover her mouth. Alex caught her as her knees gave out, stroking the brunette’s hair and whispering softly to her.

“We’ll get her back,” Alex assured the young CEO, hoping against all hope she was right. “We’ll get her back.”

**Protection from Unhappiness and Negativity (PUNs): I wasn’t going to get a brain transplant, but then I changed my mind!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for all the responses this story has received! I got a request to make chapters longer, but unfortunately I kind of suck at making long chapters...I will be posting pretty much daily, though, so hopefully that works

**TW: Starvation, mental conditioning, slavery**

“Kara, can you come here?” Lena asked a few hours later. Alex had left reluctantly, realizing it would be best to help Kara one-on-one for now. She’d gone to the DEO to aid in the hunt for Maxwell Lord, Lilian Luthor, and anyone else from the alien auction. Not to mention try to find a way to remove the collar, despite Lena’s best efforts

Lena had spent the rest of the time trying to get a spark of recognition from Kara or at least get her to eat something.

“Kara? I’ve got potstickers. Can you come have dinner with me?” She implored the superhero, receiving no response or even acknowledgment that she had spoken. Kara remained curled in the corner of the room, staring blankly at the wall across from her. Lena sighed, resigning herself to using the name of Kara’s alter-ego. She hated saying it, knowing the blonde would immediately do whatever Lena instructed. Although a CEO of a multibillion-dollar company, Lena hated feeling like she owned other people, especially when it came to Kara. She wants – wanted, she corrects herself, she can’t take advantage of the other woman anymore – a relationship with Kara. One where they’d both be equal, supporting each other through thick and thin. Now…well, now Kara was enslaved, and Lena was her master, willing or otherwise.

“Supergirl?” She tried softly. Kara shot up as though electrocuted, staring at Lena with terror in her eyes. Lena took a breath, willing herself not to break upon seeing the fear her best friend felt toward her. “Why don’t you come eat?” Lena implored. Kara glanced at the food on the table and then back at Lena, looking for some sort of trick. “It’s okay. I got all your favorites. Potstickers, pizza, ice cream…You can eat. I promise I won’t hurt you.” Lena encouraged.

Kara stared at Lena for a moment as if working up the courage to do something. Then, she spoke. Her voice was so soft and vulnerable Lena found herself holding her breath. “Master Lord says I don’t need food. He says it’s selfish to take it from humans who do. Master Lord says I’m not to eat.” Kara explained quietly. Lena almost cried right there and then. Her mind swirled with emotions. Lord told her she was selfish? Kara’s speaking to her! She hasn’t eaten in over a year! Kara’s speaking to her!!

“Oh, Kara,” Lena breathed, wishing to comfort the other woman. She immediately regretted her words as Kara closed off, stiffening and staring back at the wall, her collar glinting in the light, an ever-present reminder of how little control she now had.

Lena backpedaled, trying to regain the connection they’d had a moment ago. “Supergirl,” she corrected herself. “Could you tell me why you don’t like that name?” She pried after a moment.

Kara hesitated, her shoulders relaxing minutely. “Master Lord doesn’t like it. He says that name belongs to someone without value. He says Supergirl is the only name that matters. Master Lord doesn’t like the other name. Master Lord tried to hurt the other name until it was gone.” She whispered, her hand flitting over her body unconsciously. Lena watched the hand and understood. Lord had hurt _Kara_ trying to make her forget the name. She’d known that already, but the fury inside her still rose.

“Supergirl,” She addressed gently, “you have value in both your human and hero persona. The people who call you by that other name have missed you so much. We never stopped looking for you,” Lena admitted. Kara’s head jerked upward at that, surprise and doubt showing in her eyes. Had Lord told her they didn’t care? “It’s true,” she assured the blonde, “I- we all love you. We never stopped.” She said, catching her near admission at the last minute. Kara stared at her a moment longer before nodding slowly.

“I…I missed you too,” she said, her voice so low Lena wasn’t sure if she’d even heard correctly. She shook it off, blinking back tears that had sprung to the surface.

“Why don’t you come sit down and get something to eat?” She suggested again, gesturing to the chair. Kara looked at her uncertainly, inching closer to the table. In a blur, she snatched the container of potstickers off the table and was back in her corner, covering the food with her body and shoveling it into her mouth as though she expected it to be taken from her at any moment.

“Supergirl,” Lena sighed in defeat, “I’m not going to punish you for eating. Slow down, you’re going to choke,” she implored. Kara regarded her once more, still stuffing potstickers into her mouth, though at a slightly reduced rate. “You can sit at the table, you know. I’m not going to take the food from you.” She added dryly.

Kara swallowed, wincing as the huge quantity of food forced its way down her throat. “Master Lord says chairs are for humans. He says I can’t feel pain, so I don’t need to be comfortable. Master Lord says I sit on the floor.” Lena screwed her eyes shut, anger frothing through her at the monster that had done this to the woman she loves.

“Well I’m not Lord, am I?” Lena said softly. Kara searched her face for a moment before nodding, unsure. “And I think you should get to be comfortable,” she continued. “Could you please come join me at the table?” She asked, deliberately refusing to refer to Kara as Supergirl so she wouldn’t see it as a command. Kara stared at her for a while to the point that Lena thought she wouldn’t move. Then, the Luthor blinked and Kara was seated in front of her, still clutching the empty pot sticker box close to her.

Lena smiled gently at the other woman, watching as the blonde began to self-consciously scrape the remnants of the potstickers from the box, searching for any last bits of nutrients.

“I can’t give you more,” Lena admitted painfully, her heart aching as she saw resignation and fear seep into Kara’s eyes. “You haven’t eaten in over a year…that’s beyond starvation. If you eat too much you’re gonna be sick.” She explained, sighing as the fear gave way to disappointment. “But,” she added, “if you keep this down all night we can get sticky buns and donuts for breakfast and you can have two of each!” Lena smiled as Kara looked up hopefully. It was the same look of excitement she’d seen years before, though a little muted now. Her friend may be hurting, but she was still there, buried under the pain.

**PUNs: I made a graph of my past relationships. It has an ex axis and a why axis!**


	4. Chapter 4

**TW: Mental conditioning, implied abuse, heavily implied past sexual assault**

After dinner, Lena stood up, making to clear her dishes away. However, as she reached for her plate, she found it no longer there. She turned to see Kara washing a stack of dishes already in the sink.

“Oh, Kar- Supergirl,” she corrected herself, “you don’t have to do that.”

Kara turned toward her, still scrubbing the plate she was holding. “Sorry, Master Luthor,” she whispered, wide-eyed. Lena winced at the title. “Wh- what do I have to do, then?” She inquired before jerking upright in fear and adding, “ma’am.”

“You,” Lena began, rubbing her temple at this dynamic between herself and her best friend. Now that Kara had broken the speech barrier with her, she seemed much more willing to talk. On the other hand, now that she had a chore to do, that talking had clearly turned deferential and fearful. “You don’t have to do anything,’ Lena assured the blonde. “How about I finish up these dishes while you get out of that uniform?” She suggested softly as she moved toward the sink. A gasp from Kara stopped her in her tracks and she turned to look at the other woman.

Kara was trembling, staring at Lena with tears in her eyes. “Y-yes, Master Luthor.” She said, ducking her head. Lena had no idea what was happening. Why was Kara so upset? But then Kara unclasped her cape, dropping it to the floor. The blonde reached for the zipper of her suit, hands trembling as she refused to meet Lena’s eyes. Lena, for her part, was frozen. What was happening? This couldn’t be happening.

Kara was soon standing in front of Lena in her underwear. As the blonde’s shaking fingers reached behind herself for the bra clasp, Lena finally jarred into action. “No. No! Kara, stop! I didn’t mean- that’s not- Kara!” The blonde didn’t react to her human name, beginning to pull the straps of her bra down her arms. Lena dashed forward, pressing her body against Kara’s and wrapping her arms around the other woman, preventing Kara from removing any more clothing.

“Oh, Kara,” she whispered, finally having managed to still her friend. “I- I mean Supergirl. You…that’s not what I meant…I was just saying I could give you something more comfortable to wear.” Lena explained, her head resting on Kara’s shoulder as she clung to the other woman’s body.

“I’m sorry,” Kara whispered, barely audible. “I thought…isn’t that...Master Lord says…”

“I’m not Master Lord.” Lena stated strongly, finally pulling back and looking into Kara’s shame-filled face. “And you have nothing to be sorry for,” she continued gently. “Kar- Supergirl, I didn’t…buy you,” she spat the words out, “to control you. I did it to stop anyone else from hurting you. I’m not your master or your owner. Nobody is. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” she assured the broken superhero. Kara nodded, though clearly unconvinced. “Do you want to go take a shower?” Lena asked softly. “Alone, of course,” she added quickly.

Kara glanced up at her, sharply before ducking her head.

“What?” Lena asked gently.

“M- Master Lord usually bathed me…” Kara muttered, her face going red with shame and embarrassment.

“Oh.” Lena whispered, horrified at another fact of Kara’s torment. “Well, that’s in the past,” she assured her friend. “How about you go relax in the shower for a while and I’ll find you some clothes to wear, okay?” she suggested, trying to convey her sincerity in her face as Kara searched her eyes uncertainly. Finally, the blonde nodded slowly, and Lena smiled at her. “Let me grab you a towel,” she offered, moving toward the closet and taking out the fluffiest towels she could find, wanting to pamper Kara as much as possible. “Here you are,” she passed them to the blonde with a smile before pointing the other woman toward the bathroom. “Just in the bedroom there, second door on the left wall. If you don’t mind, please don’t lock the door. I promise I won’t come in unless I need to, but just in case you get hurt,” Lena explained, trying to give Kara some control over the situation.

“Th-thank you, ma’am.” Kara whispered, not meeting Lena’s eyes as she took the towels and walked into the bathroom. Lena stared after her until she heard the water running before sighing and sitting down on the couch, burying her face in her hands. She let a few tears she had been holding slip down her cheeks as she took a shaky breath. She couldn’t believe everything that had happened today. She was happy that Kara seemed to be making real progress, but she was worried it wouldn’t last. Once Kara adjusted to Lena being her new ‘master’ would she still be as relaxed around the brunette?

Lena took another shuddering breath before picking up her phone to call Alex, wanting to check on the progress about the collar and Maxwell Lord.

“Hey,” the agent greeted, sounding as beaten down as Lena felt.

“Hi,” Lena answered in like. “I was just wondering about a progress update.”

“We have a lead on Lord; I’m actually gearing up to lead a team to his supposed whereabouts.” Alex said, some fire returning to her voice at the thought of apprehending the man who had so terribly hurt her sister.

“I wish I could see you take him down,” Lena admitted, “get in a punch for me.”

“Oh, believe me, there’ll be plenty of punches to go around for everyone,” Alex assured her, the ghost of a smile in her voice.

“Alex, 5 minutes.” Maggie’s voice came through the line. “Who are you talking to? Is that Little Luthor? How’s…our friend?” The worry was evident in the detectives muffled tone.

“I didn’t want to spread the word yet to make sure she doesn’t get overwhelmed,” Alex explained Maggie’s cryptic words. “How is she, though?”

“She’s pretty terrible to be honest. But she started speaking to me…She calls me Master Luthor…but it’s something,” Lena filled her in.

“Yeah, I suppose that’s a start,” Alex admitted with a sigh. “I have Winn working on finding a way to remove the collar but he’s struggling without being able to evaluate the material. Maybe he and I could come over tomorrow, so he can run some tests and you can fill me in on everything?” The agent asked hopefully.

“I’ll ask her about it in a while and see how she’s feeling tomorrow and I’ll let you know.” Lena suggested.

“Sounds good. Thanks, Lena. For everything.” Alex responded, her voice taking on a level of sincerity Lena rarely heard from the usually stoic agent.

“Of course. Now go get that bastard.” Lena told her, trying to preserve some lightness in the conversation. “Give him hell,” she added with a little more seriousness. “And pass the news on to Maggie. Maybe she can come over tomorrow, too.”

“Got it. To all of those,” Alex assured her. Lena could hear intercoms and speakers over the phone; things were definitely getting crazy at the DEO. “That’s my cue!” Alex called to her. “See you soon, Luthor!”

“Bye, Alex.” Lena whispered, even after the call had ended. Lena had never been more grateful for the friends she had in her life.

**PUNs: My girlfriend told me she was leaving because I keep pretending I can shapeshift. I said “No, wait! I’ll change!”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys! I went out of town and then I had midterms but honestly I pre-wrote this so I have no actual excuse. Sorry!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm alive! I'm so sorry! I kinda gave up on existing outside of school for a while. I'm taking like 25 credits plus labs which I'm technically not allowed to do, but they let me which, by the way, they should not have. Regardless, I'll try to do better! Here you go!

**TW: mental conditioning, implied past sexual assault**

Lena dropped the phone on the table and stood up, moving to her bedroom to search for a change of clothes for Kara. She managed to find some drawstring pants that could be tightened around Kara’s emaciated form and a shirt that hopefully wouldn’t hang off Kara too much. She sent out an order for a bra and some underwear in Kara’s size and decided to get her tailor to measure Kara as soon as possible so she could send out requests for more clothes.

The doorbell rang just as Lena heard the water turn off. She rushed to grab the clothing from the delivery man and handed him a handsome tip for his speed. Back in the bedroom, Kara was just exiting the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her small frame.

“Hey, Kara.” Lena greeted, trying out the other woman’s given name. She received no response save for the stiffening of the blonde’s spine. “Alright,” Lena sighed and corrected, “hey, Supergirl.” Kara relaxed at that, turning her attention toward Lena.

“Hi,” she whispered, eyes downcast.

“I’ve got some comfy clothes here. Sorry if the sizing isn’t really right. And here’s a new bra and underwear. If you don’t mind, I’ll have someone take your measurements shortly and we can get you some more clothes that’ll actually fit.” Lena offered softly.

“Thank you, Master Luthor.” Kara responded, gaze still fixed on the carpet beneath her feet.

Lena bit her lip, willing herself to keep her patience. “I’ll just leave these things here,” she said, placing the intimate apparel on the bed next to the rest of the clothes. “I’ll be right outside on the couch when you’re ready.” She added before ducking back out into the living space.

Kara stepped out a few minutes later, shifting uncomfortably in the bedroom doorway. Lena was struck by just how small the superhero looked. Two years ago, Lena’s clothes would’ve hugged the woman’s muscles, and the pants would’ve been several inches too short. Now, the pants fell from the blonde’s waist, more than making up for their limited length, and the shirt hung off her shoulders like a blanket.

“Supergirl, I wanted to ask you a few questions.” Lena broke the silence. “Could you come sit by me?” She asked after Kara had remained motionless. The blonde quickly moved to the couch, her eyes never rising from the floor, and perched herself on the very edge of the cushion. “That’s it,” Lena assured her, “you can sit there.” Kara relaxed infinitesimally.

Lena watched Kara for a moment, noticing the other woman’s tension. “You’re not in trouble, you know,” Lena assured her, meeting blue eyes as they flickered in her direction. “I was just wondering about a few things. The tailor, for one. Would it be okay for someone to come take your measurements?” She asked. Kara nodded almost imperceptibly. “Would it frighten you for someone to take your measurements?” Another nod. Lena sighed. “If it frightens you then it’s not okay, darling. You don’t have to say yes just because I asked. Would it be better if I took your measurements myself?” Lena prodded, waiting a few moments before finally, a third nod. “Alright,” Lena said with a smile, “that’s what I’ll do then. Is tomorrow morning okay?” Lena was starting to get sick of those tiny nods.

The CEO sat back, observing Kara pensively. This was not the bubbly blonde she used to know. “Alright. Well one other thing. Alex was hoping to come over tomorrow with Winn and Maggie. They want to see you. And Winn needs to look at that,” she paused, searching for a word while gesturing to Kara’s neck, “device to find a way to get it off.”

That got more of a reaction. Kara’s eyes shot up to Lena’s, staring at her in shock and fear, her hands gripping at the collar desperately.

“What, Kara?” Lena asked before realizing her mistake, “What’s wrong, Supergirl?’

“M-Master Lord says if it ever comes off he’ll make a worse one,” Kara whispered fearfully.

“Oh,” Lena breathed. “Well Lord isn’t here. He can’t control you anymore. Could you let Winn take a look at it and if he finds a way to get it off we’ll cross that bridge when we get there?” She suggested gently. Kara hesitated, biting her lip before nodding slightly. “Perfect,” Lena told her with a smile. Kara may not be comfortable, but at least they would make strides to get her out from under Lord’s thumb. “Are you ready for bed?” Lena asked, switching topics.

Kara nodded and looked around, searching the room for something. “Um…” she started hesitantly, turning back to Lena, “is…is this corner okay?” She asked, pointing to a small piece of wooden floor. Lena looked at her in shock. Sure, Kara had squished herself in the corner when she napped earlier, but she would never get over the shock and horror whenever the blonde revealed another rule Lord had placed on her.

“No!” Lena exclaimed, dismayed that Kara thought she’d have to sleep on the floor. She regretted her tone instantly as Kara flinched, cowering into herself. “I didn’t mean it like that,” Lena sighed, controlling her tone better now. “I just mean you don’t have to sleep in a corner on the floor. If you want to, I mean you can…but it can’t be comfortable,” the brunette explained.

“It’s not,” Kara admitted softly before meeting Lena’s eyes in confusion. “Then where am I supposed to sleep?” She asked hesitantly.

“You could take my bed.” Lena offered. Kara’s eyes widened as she looked between Lena and the bedroom and Lena wanted to smack herself. “No, nonono,” she corrected, her eyes matching Kara’s. “Not like that. I just mean sleeping. Real sleeping. I’ll take the couch. Tomorrow I’ll convert the guest bedroom back into a guest bedroom. It’s been acting as a home office or storage space lately. I don’t exactly have many guests,” Lena told her, rambling as she tried to make up for her mistake.

“I-I’ll take the couch,” Kara said nervously. “Thank you, Master Luthor.” She added, nodding her head as though almost bowing to Lena. It made the brunette’s stomach roll at the thought of such a power imbalance.

“Okay,” Lena conceded. “But tomorrow night you sleep in the guest room, okay?” she compromised, smiling upon Kara’s nod. “I’ll leave my bedroom door open. Come get me if you need anything.” She added, her hands fidgeting in an attempt to restrain herself from hugging Kara goodnight. She eventually settled on an awkward pat on the shoulder before quickly grabbing some blankets for Kara and practically throwing them at her before rushing into her room. She breathed a sigh of relief as she sunk into her bed. It had certainly been an eventful day.

**PUNs: My ex wife still misses me. But her aim is steadily improving**


	6. Chapter 6

**TW: Self-blame, pain as lessons, mental conditioning, gratitude for punishment, implied/referenced self-inflicted punishments**

When Lena woke up the following morning, she wasn’t sure whether the past day had been real or a very strange stress dream. If she were honest, she wasn’t sure which one she’d prefer, either.

She slipped out into the living room, careful to be quiet so as not to disturb her guest. When the couch came into view, her shoulders slumped, and she stood up straighter. Kara wasn’t there.

Lena scrunched her face in confusion. She could’ve sworn yesterday had been real. She shrugged off the mixture of emotions flowing through her. Part of her was relieved that Kara might not be as hurt as she had been, but the rest of her knew that it could be worse.

She huffed, turning toward her kitchen to make breakfast, and froze. So, yesterday had been real.

Kara was huddled in a ball in the corner once again, painting a picture nearly identical to the one from yesterday. But instead of by Lena’s bed, the superhero was in the living room. And on the ceiling.

Lena almost laughed from the absurdity of the situation. She even let out an undignified snort as she viewed the sleeping woman, but she caught herself upon noticing Kara’s expression. It was agony. Terror danced through every wrinkle in her skin, pain etched in every pore, her mouth contorting in silent screams of anguish.

Lena rushed over to the other woman, trying to wake Kara from what seemed to be a dreadful nightmare. She had never hated her apartment more. The stupid ceilings were too high! And Lena was just too short! She jumped, desperately waving her arms to catch some piece of Kara. Any outside observer may have thought the sight was amusing, but Lena had no time for dignity.

It took her 23 seconds to move the chair from the kitchen to under Kara, another 2 to climb up and reach the blonde. That was 25 seconds of leaving Kara in her nightmare. Stupid ceilings.

Lena grasped Kara’s leg, shaking the other woman, attempting to wake her. She tried to pull Kara down, even managing to move her a few feet down the wall, but the superhero wouldn’t budge further than that. Finally, as Lena frantically shook Kara’s shoulders, blue eyes snapped open and a dent formed in Lena’s wall as Kara attempted to shoot backward.

“You were- you were dreaming,” Lena tried to explain, panting as the adrenaline left her system. Kara was staring at her with wild eyes, terror still evident in her features. Lena slowly stepped to the floor, reaching her hand out for Kara’s as the blonde was finally able to shake off the last vestiges of her dream.

Hesitantly, Kara’s hand made her way into Lena’s, allowing the brunette to pull her back to the ground.

Before Lena could stop herself, she’d wrapped Kara in a tight hug, In the second for which she held on, Lena felt the blonde stiffen under her touch, heard her breathing cease completely, and noticed her heartbeat begin to pound louder and faster than before. Needless to say, the CEO released the superhero in record time.

Kara was still panting, her eyes glazed over with terror as Lena stepped away.

“Kara?” Lena asked hesitantly, immediately cursing herself for her mistake as blue eyes widened, darting around desperately to find the source of the perceived danger. “Supergirl!” Lena corrected herself desperately. “Supergirl, it’s okay. You’re safe.” Kara’s wild eyes finally landed on the brunette, glassy and unseeing.

“I- I’m sorry, Master,” Kara whispered hesitantly, yanking her head down to stare at the ground, her hands lifting to shield herself from Lena. The brunette stumbled back a few more feet, trying to give the terrified woman some space.

“I…,” Lena tried to speak, unsure what to say to comfort the blonde. “Supergirl, you didn’t do anything wrong. I was just glad you were safe. I’m sorry.”

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. Kara froze once more, her eyes jerking upwards to meet Lena’s, the blue orbs bright with terror. Slowly, deliberately, Kara sank to her knees, closing her eyes and lifting her face toward Lena, extending her neck.

Lena was frozen. She had no idea what Kara was doing. She stared at the blonde for several minutes, lost in her confusion. Finally, blue eyes blinked open to stare into brown ones as the superhero’s hands raised to her neck, feeling the collar in wonder. Finally, Lena understood. Kara was waiting for the collar to punish her. Maybe Lord said he was sorry before hurting her? Or when he passed the job off to his employees. Lena didn’t know, but it made her sick either way.

She knelt before Kara, spreading her hands in an attempt to calm the other woman. “I’m not going to hurt you, Supergirl. You’re not in trouble.”

Confusion flashed over Kara’s face. “Would you like me to do it myself, Master Luthor?” She asked hesitantly, her face contorting in apprehension. “If you have an item I can use or if you provide the remote, I would be happy to carry out your orders.” Kara sounded like a robot, her voice monotonous and unfeeling as she recited the statement.

“No,” Lena whispered in horror. No way was she going to allow Kara to hurt herself! To punish herself! It was despicable. She hoped that Alex had shot Maxwell Lord, though that would be too quick a death.

Kara fell onto all fours, crawling forward to grasp at Lena’s clothes. “Please, Master Luthor.” She was _begging_! Lena’s stomach churned. “Allow me to learn. Teach me. Please, Master.” Kara groveled.

Lena closed her eyes, pursing her lips against the bile that rose in her throat. “Supergirl,” she tried softly, but she had no idea how to address the issue. “Supergirl,” she tried again, forcing the word off her tongue, “you…you don’t…God…you have nothing to learn!” She finally exclaimed.

“Yes, Master,” Kara responded, as though prepared for this answer. “I understand, Master Luthor. It is useless to teach me. I cannot learn! Please, give me another chance! Punish me for my mistakes so I can be better!” Kara cried, throwing her head back to look up at Lena with pleading eyes, full of unshed tears. Lena’s breathing was ragged. She was in way over her head.

“That’s not what I-,” she began, searching for some way to calm the blonde. “I mean that you did nothing wrong, Supergirl. There’s nothing to punish.”

Kara stared at her for a long moment, confusion and doubt written through her features, her fingers still clasped on the hem of Lena’s shirt. “But, I was afraid of you. Master Lord said I should not be afraid of him. He only hurt me to teach me. I am grateful for his lessons.” Kara’s words were stilted, sounding nothing like the young, goofy blonde she had once been. Her tone made Lena wonder how many times Lord had forced her to repeat those exact words.

“Lessons aren’t learned through pain,” Lena told the blonde, trying to get through the year of mental conditioning Lord had put in place. “Pain can teach nothing but fear. Lessons are learned through kindness and respect. One person explaining to another why things are the way they are, why they should be that way,” Lena explained. Kara had once told her something similar when Lena had confided in her about the fear Lilian had instilled in the youngest Luthor. The blonde had told Lena that fear didn’t teach lessons, it taught behavior. But the only way to really allow someone to learn was through kindness and reason.

Lena may have imagined it, but she could’ve sworn she saw a spark of recognition in the broken hero’s eyes at her words. “You don’t have to be afraid,” she assured Kara, “I’m not going to hurt you.” Slowly, a hand reached toward a fearful face. Long, slender fingers caressed a tear-stained cheek. Finally, Lena wrapped her arms around Kara once more, thrilled to find that, though Kara tensed, she showed no further signs of panic. Lena held the hero close, rocking her gently and whispering soft words about lessons and pain. Slowly, Kara relaxed to the sound of Lena’s voice. To an outside observer, it may have even looked like they were best friends again.

**PUNs: What’s the tallest building in any city? The library! It has the most stories!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive! Thanks to everyone who kept reviewing and didn't give up on this story! I'm planning on going back to approximately daily updates now that I've made it through college (hopefully. Not jinxing it until I have my diploma in hand) and the holidays.

**TW: descriptions of violence (against Lord, though), mental conditioning,**

20 minutes later, that’s exactly how Alex walked in on them, Kara wrapped in Lena’s arms. Alex smiled softly, knowing what Kara had felt for the brunette over a year ago, hoping one day they could reignite that spark.

Lena glanced up as Alex entered, trailing Winn and Maggie behind her.

“Hey,” the brunette called softly from the floor. Kara tensed at that, trying to look around Lena to see who was there without being seen herself. “It’s okay,” Lena whispered to the blonde, “it’s just Alex, Maggie, and Winn. Remember? Maggie wanted to say hi and Alex and Winn are here to help with that thing on your neck.” Kara didn’t respond, but her hands jerked up to the collar, so Lena was sure she understood.

“Hey, Kar-,” Winn began, but was quickly cut off by Alex slapping a hand over his mouth and interrupting.

“Supergirl!” She called over Winn’s introduction. “It’s great to see you.” She added at a lower volume as she approached the blonde. “Would it be okay if Winn looked at the device?” She asked, gesturing to her collar. Kara flinched at the motion, before looking at Lena to see what she wanted.

“It’s up to you, Supergirl.” Lena told her, not wanting to encourage the idea that she owned the blonde. “But, he may be able to help get it off.” Lena remembered too late that was the wrong thing to say. Kara jumped back, holding onto the collar protectively.

“What’s that about?” Winn asked, staring at Kara in concern.

Lena sighed, turning away from the blonde too look at the trio over her shoulder. “Lord told her that he’d make it much worse for her if she ever got it off.” She explained, before turning back to the superhero. “But he’s not here, and I’m not him. What happened with that?” Lena asked Alex curiously.

“We got him!” Alex told her with a grin. “I’ll tell you all about it later.” She assured the still inquisitive brunette.

“Well there you go, Supergirl. He can’t hurt you anymore. Could you please let Winn look at the device?” She cooed gently, squatting in front of Kara and offering her hand to the blonde. Hesitant fingers eventually reached out to intertwine with Lena’s as the brunette helped the blonde to stand. “That’s it,” she encouraged softly.

“Alrighty,” Winn said awkwardly, his tablet in his hand. “So, Ka-Supergirl. KaSupergirl. Yeah.”

“Nice save,” Maggie finally chimed in.

“Thank you!” Winn told her with a flourish. “Supergirl, if you want to sit down,” he gestured at the couch, “or stand. Standing works. Standing is good.” He added as Kara looked between his outstretched hand, the couch, and Lena fearfully.

“Supergirl, if you need to stop, just let me know,” Lena told the nervous woman. “I’ll be just over here with Alex and Maggie.” She added, gesturing across the room to one of her couches and guiding the law enforcement pair with her. “She had a dream this morning. I found her in the corner of the room. But on the ceiling.” Lena told the others once they were sufficiently isolated.

“She used to sleep float, but I’ve never seen her do anything but hover over her bed.” Alex informed the brunette curiously.

“She was really shaken up. She was talking yesterday, but I think the dream freaked her out. She seems to be trying to figure out how to behave around me, what I expect of her.” Lena told them, sighing, and leaning back in her chair. “To be perfectly honest, she’s trying to find out how to behave so I won’t hurt her.”

Maggie and Alex both grimaced at that. “What did he do to her?” Maggie asked hesitantly, dreading the answer.

Alex and Lena shared a pained look. “Let’s just say she had already been through more than anyone should ever go through. This was ten times worse.” Alex informed her fiancée. They had been putting off the wedding for over a year, waiting until Kara could be the maid of honor, no matter how slim the hope seemed.

“You locked him up?” Lena asked, looking for some sort of good news.

“Yup!” Alex responded quickly.

“If you can call what was put in that cell him,” Maggie added, glancing at the redhead. “He was darker than me with all the bruises. And I’m pretty sure his face was much less jagged before Alex got ahold of him.”

“Uh…” Alex began, “necessary force?” she attempted to justify. “Okaaaay,” she caved at the Luthor Lifted Eyebrow™. “So, maybe I broke a few of his bones,” the protective older sister admitted.

“A few?” Maggie scoffed, “more like all of them! His jaw, nose, several fingers, cheekbone, leg. And she stuck him in a DEO holding cell. I don’t want to think what J’onn is doing to his mind. Not that he doesn’t deserve it.”

Lena smiled in satisfaction. “He got what was coming to him. Now if only we could get the rest of those people at that auction,” she added, thinking of possible ways to track them down.

“Speaking of,” Alex began after a pregnant pause, “why were you at that auction again?”

“I told you, my mother and Veronica Sinclair all but demanded it.” Lena explained, taken aback.

“No, I’m not trying to accuse you of anything. I’m just wondering why they’d do that,” the redhead quickly defended.

“Oh,” Lena sighed, visibly relaxing. “Who knows why my mother does anything she does. Maybe she wanted to prove I was a Luthor after all. Maybe she took pictures and it’ll be all over next weeks newspaper. Maybe she just thought I’d kill myself wondering why she did it. Whatever her reasons, I’m sure they were nothing if not nefarious.” Lena sighed once more, rubbing her temple with one hand and reaching for her scotch with another. She hadn’t even thought to question her mother’s motives. She’d been too focused on Kara.

“We’ll find her,” Maggie assured the clearly distressed Luthor.

“Maybe I can take Alex’s place when you do,” Lena said with a dark laugh.

“Got it!” Winn called from the other side of the room. They finally had a plan to remove the collar.

**PUNs: You can never be confused in a perfume factory. They always make scents!**


	8. Chapter 8

**TW: Self-blame, mental conditioning, implied/referenced abuse, abuse expected by survivor**

At Winn’s declaration, Lena rushed to Supergirl’s side who had been standing stiffly, her neck extended at a painfully awkward angle to allow Winn to view the collar while she braced herself against the wall.

“It’s okay, Supergirl,” Lena cooed, taking her hand gently.

“Whatcha got, Schott?” Alex asked, chuckling at her own rhyme.

“You might wanna sit down for this,” Winn told them ominously. The three women shared dark looks.

“What is it,” Maggie demanded.

“Okay, okay,” Winn conceded, recoiling under the glare of the others. “I have a few ideas for how to get rid of the thing, but I don’t think you’ll like it. See, it’s got all sorts of different sensors in it. If you’re able to apply near enough pressure to break it, it will know and react accordingly. Whether that reaction is hurting Supergirl or defending itself, I don’t know. Either way, I’m not sure it’s a good option.”

“Then what is?” Alex barked, frustrated with the man’s rambling.

“I think our best option,” he told them hesitantly, “is kryptonite.”

“What? No way!” Lena retorted immediately, shifting slightly in front of Kara protectively.

“Hear me out!” Winn implored, “you see, it also has kryptonite sensors. But they’re only built to withstand the kryptonite from the thing itself. So, if we turn it all the way up and hold some more kryptonite near it, I’m pretty sure they’ll blow. It won’t take long. And at least we know how to deal with kryptonite poisoning.”

“Not going to happen.” Lena stated, furious with Winn for even suggesting it.

“Lena,” Maggie whispered, “he’s right.”

Lena turned on the detective, fire in her eyes. “How dare you? She has been through enough and you want to hurt her more? Do you know what kryptonite does to her? She told me! She told me it feels like every piece of her is on fire! Like her body is trying to tear itself apart! Like her veins are going to burst! She told me it makes her feel like her planet, breaking apart and destroying everything inside!” She was shouting now, her whole body placed between Kara and the others, her arms outstretched to protect the girl of steel.

“Lena, I don’t like it any more than you do,” Alex told her, “but it’s the only choice we have.”

“Find another one.” Lena growled. Winn looked like he was about to say something but was cut off by a small whimper. Lena spun around, completely forgetting about the others as her focus turned to Kara. The superhero was huddled on the corner, looking fearfully around the group. Lena dropped into a squat in front of the blonde. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” She whispered, stretching out her hand to the blonde.

Clearly, that was the wrong thing to do. Kara flinched and scrambled away, whimpering louder as she realized the wall was behind her. Then, she froze, staring at Lena’s hand and trembling like a hummingbird in a storm. She moved back toward Lena, screwing her eyes shut as she offered her cheek to the Luthor. The rest of the group stared at her for a few moments before the blue eyes finally reopened.

Kara looked between the confused faces incredulously.

“You…” Lena began slowly, “you thought I was going to hit you.” It wasn’t a question as the realization washed over her. “And then…” she hesitated, horrified by her own words, “you thought it was wrong to try not to get hurt…you…you thought you…deserved it?” The last words turned into an inquiry as Lena found herself incapable of believing her own theory. Kara stared at her, her fearful face somehow managing to look younger than she had ever been on Earth and older than J’onn J’onzz all at once.

Finally, she nodded.

The other four all gasped at the same time, recoiling from Kara as though hit themselves, physically repulsed by the thought of what Lord had done to their friend.

“Oh, darling,” Lena finally recovered, shifting slightly closer to the blonde. “I’m not going to hurt you. I would never. And I’m sorry we were arguing. Can you tell me what you think of the idea?”

Kara’s expression didn’t change, confusion and fear coating it in equal measure.

“Do you want us to get the collar off?” Lena tried, knowing the blonde had reacted adversely in the past.

“I…I don’t…want…” Kara whispered, her voice barely audible.

“You don’t want us to remove the collar? Okay, we won’t, then. Not until you’re ready.” Lena assured the superhero to gasps of incredulity and horror from her friends.

Kara was the only one who spoke, “No!” she shouted desperately, louder than Lena had heard her yet. “No I didn’t mean…I don’t…” the woman shrunk under the gaze of the others, looking into her lap and wringing her hands as she whispered, “I’m not supposed to want anything.” Lena closed her eyes. Of course, Kara hadn’t been allowed to have opinions or ask for something for over a year. If she ever got her hands on Maxwell Lord, she’d put Alex to shame.

“You’re allowed to have opinions now,” Lena ground out, desperately trying to hide her anger for Lord, hoping to get Kara a little more at ease. “You don’t have to make the decision if you don’t want to, but can you tell me if it will scare you to remove the collar?” she prompted the other woman.

Slowly, Kara nodded.

“Okay,” Lena sighed, disappointed but not surprised. “Then we’ll wait until you feel more comfortable.”

“But-,” Winn began, but he was quickly silenced by Lena’s glare.

“We will wait.” Lena repeated, more forcefully, before softening her tone. “I’m going to try to get her measurements, so I can order new clothes for her and she doesn’t have to wear that whore hero costume.” Lena told them in disgust, not noticing Kara’s slight wince at the harsh word. “I think it would be best if you guys left for now, so she’s less overwhelmed.” Lena suggested to the trio, all of whom begrudgingly nodded. “Alex, can I speak to you a moment before you take off?” She added, receiving a nod in return.

The pair moved across the room, out of earshot from the others.

“What’s up?” The agent asked.

“I want to see Lord. And I want Kara to see Lord.” Lena told the other woman bluntly.

“No way! Kara is way too fragile for that.” Alex protested, shocked at Lena’s suggestion. “God, she really is fragile,” Alex added in a much lower tone, running a hand through her hair as she stared at the shell of what once was her sister.

“I know, Alex. But I don’t know how else to convince her that Lord can’t hurt her anymore.” Lena told the redhead desperately.

There was silence for a moment, Alex still regarding Kara with pain in her eyes. “I’ll talk to J’onn about it,” she responded finally, resigned. “I just want Kara back.”

“I know,” Lena responded, both women staring sadly at the ground between them. “Me too.”

**PUNs: I couldn’t figure out how to fasten my seatbelt. Then it clicked!**


End file.
